Self-locking railway-switch handle.



- C. FORTH.

I SELF LOCKING RAILWAY SWITCH HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAN. 6. 19m.

1,275,237. Patented'Aug. 13, 1918.

T OFFICE.

CHARLES FORTH, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, A'SSIGNOR TO THE FLEXIBLE METAL HOSE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SELF-LOCKING RAILWAY-SWITCH HANDLE.

Application filed March 6, 1917. Serial No. 152,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FORTH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of 26 WVellington street, in the city of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Railway-Switch Handles, of which the following is a full description.

This invention relates to improvements in self-locking railway switch handles, and the objects of the invention are to provide simple and effective mechanism designed particularly for locking the handle of railway switches to the tongue of the switch stand, and such means as would consist of very few and simple parts and each one adapted to perform the functions required of it.

A further object is to provide a form of device which may be released either with a key or by other means. The invention consists essentially of the improved construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described in detail in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section, of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with the cover of the casing removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the bolt in retracted position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of an alternative form of the invention.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a handle of a railway switch stand of ordinary construction, and B, the tongue forming part of the stand to which the handle is adapted to be locked. This tongue is formed at its upper extremity withmeans, such as a tooth 10 adapted to be engaged by the bolt C of the look.

This bolt is mounted in a casing 11 and supported with freedom to both recipro cate and rock laterally after it has been retracted a given amount.

The casing 11 in the embodiment illus-. trated is formed in part by a chamber D cast integral with the handle, one side of which chamber is closed by a removable cover 12, which cover also extends over the opening 13 in the handle through which the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13,1918.

tongue B is adapted to extend, the cover being conveniently formed with a dome shaped portion 14 to receive the projecting end of the tongue.

The rear part of the bolt C isformed with projections or rockers 15 adapted to ride upon guidingflanges 16 and 17 at the side of the casing; The forward part of the bolt projects through an aperture 18 in the wall 19 of the casing. The outer portion20 of the bolt is of slight-1y reduced width, whereby, when the bolt has moved inwardly, a given amount,,it may be free to rock laterally to the positionshown in Fig. 3, in which position a shoulder 21 on the bolt will bear against the side of-thewall 18 and thus hold the bolt in this position.

Spring means are provided for holding the bolt in outermost position and also for looking it laterally when it reaches a given position in its inward movement. The means 1 have shown comprise a tension spring 22 extending from a projection 24 on the bolt,'to a pin 23 on the casing. Outward movement of the bolt is limited by means of a projection 25 adapted to abut the side of the wall 19.

The bolt is adapted to be withdrawn either by a key or by a handle. In Figs. 1 to 3, the bolt is adapted to receive a key, being formed with a central aperture 26, mounted in which is the key supporting means including the pin 27 supported by the bracket 28 secured toor forming part of the casing. The aperture 26 may be so designed as to constitute or form wards for the key. A suitable key hole 29 is provided in the easing, normally closed by a pivoted cover 30.

In Fig. 4, the end of the bolt is connected to an operating rod 32 which extends through the end of the casing connected to a finger ring 33. The outer end of the bolt is beveled slightly to correspond with the rounded end on the tongue B, whereby, when the handle is forced downwardly, the bolt will slide over the tooth 10 and latch.

It will be seen that when the bolt is drawn a given amount by the key or otherwise, is will rock back into position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and will remain in this retracted position until released by the head.

' bolt-having an end projecting guide flanges, said tion within the scope of the claims constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a lock of the character described and in combination a casing, flanges on the side walls thereof, a. looking through the rockers bearing on the guide flanges, said bolt having a forward portion of reduced diameter and ashoulder adapted to abut theside wall of the casing whenthe bolt is swung laterally after being moved inwardly a given amount.

2. In a lock of the character described and in combination a casing, and guide flanges on the side walls thereof, a locking casing and having bolt having an end projecting through the rockers bearing on the bolt having a forward portion of reduced diameter and a shoulder casing and having laterally when forced and guide adapted to abut the side wall of the casing when the bolt is swung laterally after being moved inwardly a; given amount, and a spring extending from the bolt to the casing adapted to return the same to normal position and also adapted to swing the same inwardly a given amount.

3. In a lock of the character described and in combination a casing, having guide flanges on the side walls thereof, a locking bolt having anend projecting through the casing and having rockers bearing on *the guide flanges, said bolt having a forward portion of reduced diameter and ashoulder adapted to abut theside wall of the casing when the-bolt is swung laterally after being moved inwardly. a given amount, and key supporting means within the casing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of a witness.

CHARLES FORTH. Witness:

RUSSEL B. BRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the"flommissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. 3. 

